William S. Burroughs - Call Me Burroughs (1965)

"Bradley the Buyer" by William S. Burroughs

The start of the Beat Generation has been pinpointed to the area of Columbia University in 1944. Allen Ginsberg was there, as was William S. Burroughs. It took around ten years for the cluster of authors that made up the Beats to publish their major works; Burroughs's Naked Lunch published in 1959. Like Ginsberg's Howl, Burroughs's testament faced censorship, book bans and court proceedings. And not too long after, like Ginsberg's Howl, Burroughs would set some of his writings to wax. Call Me Burroughs was released in 1965 by The English Bookshop, Paris.

Here is the discography surrounding William S. Burroughs's debut album:

Call Me Burroughs

The ESP Sampler (1967 compilation recording)

William S. Burroughs & His Friends

"Inflexible Authority" by William S. Burroughs

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The Rolling Stones - Out of Our Heads (1965)

 "I'm Free" by The Rolling Stones

Nobody wanted to follow the powerhouse performance of James Brown's on the T.A.M.I. Show, but that difficult task, and the job of closing the Show, fell to the still relatively fresh faces of The Rolling Stones.  The Stones released their third (UK) album Out of Our Heads in 1965 on Decca Records.

Here is the discography surrounding The Rolling Stones's third album:

The Last Time (1965 single)

Got Live If You Want It! (1965 EP)

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (1965 single)

Out of Our Heads (1965 US album)

Out of Our Heads

Get Off of My Cloud (1965 single)

December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965 US album)

The Complete British Radio Broadcasts - Volume 3 1964-1965 (compilation album)

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones

"The Last Time" by the Rolling Stones

"That's How Strong My Love Is" by The Rolling Stones

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The Barbarians - The Barbarians (1965)

"You've Got to Understand" by The Barbarians

After The Supremes, the T.A.M.I. Show brought out their most confounding pick in the concert's lineup, The Barbarians, who performed a one song setlist of their only single at the time.  If the movie opened with a call and response of Chuck Berry and The Pacemakers to highlight the influence American music had on the Beats, it follows that the inclusion of The Barbarians are representative of the regional garage rock band formed under the influence of rock returned via the British Invasion.

The Barbarians released one album The Barbarians in 1965 on Laurie Records.

Here is the The Barbarians complete discography:

Hey Little Bird (1964 single)

Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl (1965 single)

What the New Breed Say (1965 single)

The Barbarians

Moulty (1966 single)

"Hey Little Bird" by The Barbarians

"Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl" by The Barbarians

"Moulty" by The Barbarians

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David Jones - David Jones (1965)

"Dream Girl" by David Jones

David Bowie is his stage name.  Originally, he tried to have a go with his own name, David (sometimes Davy) Jones, but he was struggling to get his music career off the ground at the same time as another David (to be Davy) Jones.  Name-cementing success would find this other David Jones sooner than the eventual Bowie.  David Jones released his debut album David Jones in 1965 on Pye Records.

Here is the discography surrounding David Jones's debut album:

Dream Girl (1964 single)

What Are We Going to Do? (1965 single)

David Jones

The Girl from Chelsea (1965 single)

It Ain't Me Babe (1967 single as Davy Jones)

Theme for a New Love (1967 single as Davy Jones)

"What Are We Going to Do?" by David Jones (on Shindig!)

David Jones as The Artful Dodger (on The Ed Sullivan Show)

"Any Old Iron" by David Jones

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Harold Lloyd, Jr. - Intimate Style (1965)

"Time After Time" by Harold Lloyd, Jr.


Conway Twitty was just a stage name.  The reason for Twitty was that his given name Harold Lloyd Jenkins was too ordinary even though he was named after one of the great silent film comedians, Harold Lloyd.  The silent comedian himself didn't make much noise, but his son and namesake Harold Lloyd, Jr. dabbled in it.  A bit of a tragic ne'er-do-well, Lloyd, Jr. never quite found a calling, but he did release an album Intimate Style in 1965 on Coral Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Harold Lloyd, Jr.'s debut album:

Daddy Bird (1958 single as Duke Lloyd)
Intimate Style

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Herman's Hermits - Herman's Hermits (1965)

"For Your Love" by Herman's Hermits


The Who were one of the top bands in the UK circa their second album, but they saw a scene change on the horizon with which they didn't really jive.  Their beloved mods were now passé and the flower children and their music were ascending to national prominence.  Rather than shift styles to follow the crowd, they saw an alternate path to maintain relevance.  They had to expand their base which meant courting an American audience.

You might imagine that "My Generation" had already established their popularity or, at least, their recognition worldwide, but initially the song didn't catch in the United States like it did in Europe.  They started to make headway at the Monterey Pop Festival (though they felt out of place at this hippie cultural touchstone) then followed it up with a US tour as the opening act for a very, unlike-them, Herman's Hermits.

A sort of inverse of The Who, Herman's Hermits were not that big in their own UK but really big in the United States.  Part of the reason is that before they got any traction in their native music scene, Herman and His Hermits's bubblegum pop and good looks were shipped and, rather vehemently, sold to the US market as the next Beatles after only a couple singles and one major hit.  They released their debut album Herman's Hermits in 1965 with different track listings in the UK for EMI and the US for MGM Records.

Note: Since Herman's Hermits released more albums in the US than in the UK, I'll mostly be following the US discography for their future blog spots.  This stop, however, highlights the UK album mostly because it has the better album cover.  (I also think it's a better record).

Here is the discography surrounding Herman's Hermits's debut album:

I'm Into Something Good (1964 single)
Show Me Girl (1964 single)
Can't You Hear My Heartbeat (1965 single)
Hermania (1965 EP)
Silhouettes (1965 single)
Herman's Hermits (1965 US album)
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1965 single)
Wonderful World (1965 single)
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1965 EP)
Herman's Hermits

"I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits


"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits


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The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones No. 2 (1965)

"It's All Over Now" by The Rolling Stones


Chris Farlowe came to greater public exposure with his signing to Immediate Records (a record company we've seen before).  Immediate was co-founded by Andrew Loog Oldham, early manager for The Rolling Stones.  This makes the third time the tour's covered a band's second album (who'd have thought they'd be so rare), and The Rolling Stones released their second album The Rolling Stones No. 2 at the dawn of 1965.

Here is the discography surrounding The Rolling Stones's second album:

It's All Over Now (1964 single)
Five by Five (1964 EP)
Time Is on My Side (1964 single)

12 X 5 (1964 US album)

Little Red Rooster (1964 single)
Heart of Stone (1964 single)

The Complete British Radio Broadcasts - Volume 2 1964 (compilation)
Route 66 (1965 single)
The Rolling Stones No. 2
Under the Boardwalk (1965 single)

The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965 US album)

"Heart of Stone" by The Rolling Stones


"Time Is on My Side" by The Rolling Stones


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Sonny & Cher - Look at Us (1965)

"Baby Don't Go" by Sonny & Cher


Another relative of Vince Guaraldi and Muzzy Marcellino's in the music business was singer, songwriter, and producer Sonny Bono.

Sonny Bono worked for Phil Spector.  He played percussion and wrote songs and learned from the master but lacked the master's talent.  Sonny met the young Cherilyn Sarkisian and arranged for her to sing as a backup singer, a brick in Spector's Wall of Sound.  She sang on a handful of notable iconic Spector hits and recorded a couple singles for him to no success.  Cherilyn wasn't really a Spector project anyway, she was Sonny's (and they eventually married).  Sonny started packaging the two of them as the musical duo Caesar & Cleo, a girl-boy partnership based on the previous successes of Les Paul & Mary Ford, Mickey & Sylvia, and even Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.  They had no notable success as Caesar & Cleo.

The name change to Sonny & Cher on the duo's third single "Baby Don't Go" coincided with it being a local hit.  When they released the follow-up, a Sonny penned and produced "I Got You Babe", Sonny & Cher had a surprising #1 hit single and cultural landmark.  Its success pulled up their associated debut 1965 album, Look at Us to #2 on the album charts.  The single's success also ended up featuring the two on a good number of talk and variety shows and even the occasional movie appearance.  Sonny & Cher had become household name.

Here is the discography surrounding Sonny & Cher's debut album:

The Letter (1964 single as Caesar & Cleo)
Love Is Strange (1964 single as Caesar & Cleo)
Baby Don't Go (1964 single)
Baby Don't Go (1965 compilation album by Sonny & Cher and Friends)
I've Got You Babe (1965 single)
Look at Us
Just You (1965 single)
The Letter (1965 single)

"I've Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher


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The Moody Blues - The Magnificent Moodies (1965)

"I'll Go Crazy" by The Moody Blues


The Move and The Moody Blues shared the same city in Birmingham, the same producer in Denny Cordell, and the same manager in (not Don Arden) Tony Secunda.  Before The Move switched to Arden, they rose to prominence with Secunda helped along by his publicity stunts which included ridiculous stage antics, signing their recording contract on the back of a topless model, and a libelous cartoon poster of the Prime Minister at the time, Harold Wilson, in bed with his secretary.  After the legal action took a big chunk out of the band, they let Secunda go.

The Moody Blues formed in 1964 with Michael Pinder (keyboard), Ray Thomas (percussion, flutes), Denny Laine (harmonica, guitar, lead vocals), Graeme Edge (drums), and Clint Warwick (bass) out of the refuse of other short-lived Brum Bands such as The Diplomats, The Rebels, and The Krew Cats.  Their early and short-lived residency at the Carlton Ballroom gathered the attention of producer Alex Murray who helped swing a record deal with Decca.  In a matter of months of existence, The Moody Blues released their debut single "Steal Your Heart Away" to a flop.  Their presence grew, however, thanks to spots on television including the first purposeful, promotional film for their only #1 single "Go Now!" later that year.

Despite the single success, their debut album The Magnificent Moodies released in 1965 failed to chart.  The band continued to release a consistent stream of singles but found each one less and less successful.  By 1966, lead singer and guitarist Denny Laine had had enough and left the band for a solo career.

Here is the discography surrounding The Moody Blues's debut album:

Down the Line (1959 single by El Riot and The Rebels)

The Bat (1961 single by The Krew Kats)

Samovar (1961 single by The Krew Kats)

Trambone (1961 single by The Krew Kats)
Forever and a Day (1963 single by Denny Laine and The Diplomats)

Doctor Feelgood (1964 single by Gerry Levene and The Avengers)

Steal Your Heart Away (1964 single)
Go Now! (1964 single)
I Don't Want to Go On Without You (1965 single)
The Moody Blues (1965 EP)
From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You) (1965 single)
The Magnificent Moodies
Everyday (1965 single)
Stop! (1966 single)
This Is My House (But Nobody Calls) (1966 single)
Life's Not Life (1967 single)

The Village Postman (1968 single by The Hinge)

"Go Now!" by The Moody Blues


"Bye Bye Bird"


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The Who - My Generation (1965)

Jimmy Page is renowned for his career with The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, but he spent several years mastering his craft as a session musician. Producer Shel Talmy favored Page's skills and used him often on his productions. Page played on The Kinks debut album and was even rumored to have authored the guitar solo on "You Really Got Me", which he denies and credits to Dave Davies. The Who's early recordings were also produced by Shel Talmy, and their debut single "I Can't Explain" also featured Page.

John Entwistle and Pete Townshend's first roles as musicians had them as members of a Dixieland jazz band called The Confederates on which Entwistle played the French Horn and Townshend played the banjo. With a chance street encounter between Entwistle and Roger Daltrey, the two were recruited into Daltrey's rhythm and blues band The Detours. The early line-up had Daltrey on lead guitar, Townshend on rhythm guitar, Entwistle on bass, Doug Sandom on drums, and Colin Dawson as vocalist. With the departure of Dawson, Daltrey took over on vocals, leaving Townshend as the sole guitarist. Although The Detours were considered a talented band, they couldn't quite earn a recording contract for need of original material and a better drummer. The band dropped the elder Sandom from The Detours and picked up the younger, manic Keith Moon.

In 1964, The Detours changed their name to The Who and then briefly to The High Numbers on the recommendation of their new manager Peter Meaden. Under Meaden, The High Numbers were tailored to appeal to England's mod subculture that held an affinity for Italian motor scooters, tailored suits, pop music (beat, ska, soul, R&B), and dancing clubs. The band's first single "Zoot Suit" failed to chart, so the group reverted back to The Who, and Meaden relinquished managing control to Kit Lambert and Christ Stamp. Despite all of these changes, The Who maintained a strong local following but needed a little something more to gain national attention. They found a gimmick when Pete Townshend, in a bout of frustration, destroyed his guitar at the Railway Tavern. The next night saw an increased audience expecting more destruction. From then on, Townshend and Moon regularly performed what they call auto-destructive art.

The Who's first single as The Who was the Kinks-inspired tune "I Can't Explain" that peaked at eighth on the UK charts early in 1965. This was followed up with "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere". Their third single "My Generation" peaked at second in the UK and provided a wave of success going into the release of their debut album, the commercially named My Generation. The album met with critical acclaim and commercial popularity reaching fifth on the charts. A handful of other singles were released throughout 1966 to varied success. They found continued chart success with the original singles "Substitute" and "I'm a Boy".

The album is a good source document to The Who's early "Hardcore R&B" days. It's made up mostly of original material by Pete Townshend and is rounded off with three cover songs (two James Brown, one Bo Diddley). Although most of the songs stay in the British Rhythm and Blues and Beat tradition, a number of songs stand out. In particular, "My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright" are definitive Who power pop and would become the album's most iconic tracks. The beat-inspired "It's Not True" and the romping instrumental "The Ox" are other noteworthy tracks. The 1966 single "I'm a Boy", a song not on the album, holds some importance as it is a remnant of Townshend's first attempt at a rock opera, an idea he'd keep working on in the years to come.

Here is the discography surrounding The Who's debut album:

Zoot Suit (1964 single as The High Numbers)
I Can't Explain (1965 single)
Anytime, Anyhow, Anywhere (1965 single)
My Generation (1965 single)
My Generation
Substitute (1966 single)
A Legal Matter (1966 single)
The Kids Are Alright (1966 single)
I'm a Boy (1966 single)





If you have any ideas for the tour should go next, please give a shout. I'm open to all suggestions.

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The Missing Links - The Missing Links (1965)

John Harrigan operated several clubs in Sydney and offered gigging opportunities for several of the Beat scene's leading bands including Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Ray Brown & the Whispers, and The Easybeats in locales like Surf City or The Pacific. These locations also witnessed the rise of one of Australia's most legendary bands. The Missing Links played music unlike anything produced by the beat scene when they began in 1964, and they were the first band to sport counter-culturally long hair. In fact, Peter Anson's "near-shoulder-length mane was reputed to have been the longest of any male in Sydney at the time". If The Easybeats are oft regarded as the Australian Beatles, it's no stretch to claim The Missing Links as the Australian Rolling Stones.

Peter Anson (guitar, vocals) and Danny Cox (drums) offered the foundation of the group. The two recruited Ronnie Peel (bass) and Dave Boyne (lead guitar) through an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald. They were able to pick up Bob Brady (percussion, vocals) as he was a friend of Boyne's to round out the quintet. Heavily influenced by early Stones recordings, the band's live set produced hardcore R&B in contrast to the Beat scene that surrounded them. Their local popularity led several labels to offer contracts including one from Parlophone that they eventually accepted.

March 1965 saw the release of The Missing Links's debut single "We 2 Should Live" and, although the band was dissatisfied with the production quality, it did considerably well in the public forum. Unfortunately, the founding lineup was not built to last. David Boyne left to go into the family business and was soon followed by the exit of Danny Cox. Peter Anson left to form his own band while Ronnie Peel left to join another. Bob Brady was the last of the original lineup to leave. The Missing Links did not disintegrate, however, as the founding band members were replaced as they departed. The Missing Links (take 2) soon featured a whole new lineup: John Jones (guitar, vocals), Andy James (vocals, percussion), Doug Ford (lead guitar), Chris Gray (keyboards, harmonica), Ian Thomas (bass), and Baden Hutchins (drums). There were other substitutes, such as Dave Longmore (who introduced the band to the use of feedback), but they did not last longer than a few weeks. In July of 1965, The Missing Links began recording a studio album under "cramped" and "primitive" conditions, after-hours and without a producer. They used the studio's elevator well as an echo chamber. Many of the songs they recorded were cut with limited rehearsal or even made up on the spot.

August saw the release of the new Links's debut single "You're Driving Me Insane" is now considered one of Australia's greatest recordings. This was followed by two other singles "Wild About You", a proto-punk romp, and "H'tuom Tuhs", a cover of Bo Diddley's "Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut" except played in reverse (one of the earliest usages of reverse tape). The band released their debut album The Missing Links in December despite being disappointed with the production of the album. The album saw a limited release and has since garnered the status of one of Australia's garage rock classics. Unfortunately, The Missing Links suffered from a hard case of the internal conflicts and announced a split in April of 1966.

The Missing Links did not last long, but while they were active, they caused quite a stir that awakened the complacent Australian music scene to what real rock and roll sounded and looked like. The group was the first down under to embody the counter-culture of rock in their appearance and their manic performances (that included instrument destruction), and they were the first down under to make good use of feedback and reverse tape in their arrangements. Although the band began as a strict Rhythm and Blues group, The Missing Links quickly found their own sound that had traces of folk, early rock, and especially garage rock. Their sound also had tinges of other genres that the group predated such as punk and psychedelia. It's no stretch of the imagination to visualize the influence The Missing Links held on Australian rock.

Here is the complete discography for The Missing Links:

We 2 Should Live (1965 single)
You're Driving Me Insane (1965 single)
Wild About You (1965 single)
H'tuom Tuhs (1965 single)
The Missing Links
The Links Unchained (1966 EP)
Driving You Insane (1999 compilation album)





If you have any ideas for where the tour should go next, please give a shout.

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The Easybeats - Easy (1965)

It seemed that Models's break-up in November of '79 might have been permanent if it were not for the insistence of producers George Young and Harry Vanda that the band reform to record some demos. Young and Vanda started in the music industry fifteen years earlier as two of the founding members of The Easybeats, one of Australia's most successful rock groups on both the national and international scenes.

All of the members of The Easybeats migrated to Australia with their families in the early sixties. They met each other and formed the band in Villawood Migrant Hostel in 1964. Lead singer Stevie Wright immigrated from England as did drummer Gordon Henry "Snowy" Fleet. George Young on rhythm guitar immigrated from Scotland. Wright and Young would also act as the band's lead songwriting team during these early years. Lead guitarist Harry Vanda and bassist Dick Diamonde both immigrated from the Netherlands. Both were quiet members of the band as they spent those early years mastering English. Heavily influenced by British Invasion bands (in particular The Beatles), the group quickly became one of Sydney's most adored groups and earned themselves a production contract with Albert Productions and a recording contract with Parlophone.

They released their first single "For My Woman" in 1965 to middling success, and it took a move to Melbourne and a Beatles-like marketing campaign by the record label to get the band a substantial fanbase. Oh, and what a fanbase. 'Easyfever' in Australia rivaled even 'Beatlemania' and Rolling Stones fandom across the Pacific. Fans mobbed the band's gigs, rushed the stage, and swarmed the young stars whenever they were out in the open. They had very little personal moments to themselves and even that was micromanaged by handlers. Their second single acted as the band's coming out party as "She's So Fine", a song of pure rock and roll energy, rose to number one on the ARIA charts. Despite their mass popularity, the third single 'Wedding Ring' did not replicate previous successes as it only peaked at #13 on the charts. The end of 1965 saw the release of The Easybeats's first album Easy that performed well on the charts, but once again, not as well as the band would have liked. It was about this time the group decided that they had outgrown Australia and were looking for a more lucrative market for their sound.

Here is the discography surrounding The Easybeats's debut album:

For My Woman (1965 single)
She's So Fine (1965 single)
Mean Old Lovin' (1965 recordings)
Wedding Ring (1965 single)
Easy



If you have any ideas for where the tour should go next, please give a shout.

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The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things (1965)

Dick Taylor, Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger, before the formation of The Stones, performed in a group together called Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys. After Brian Jones joined the band, its name changed to The Rolling Stones. The young Mr. Taylor left The Stones very early on to attend the London Central School of Art where he met Phil May. Mr. Taylor's guitar and Phil May's vocals and harmonica would end up forming the core of The Pretty Things. They had some early success in the UK with three charting singles ("Rosalyn", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Honey, I Need") and a top-ten charting album in their 1965 debut The Pretty Things, a series of Rhythm & Blues covers with a couple original songs.

The Pretty Things had everything it needed to be a solid blues-rock band: a fierce vocal gnarl, a vibrant beat, and creative musicianship. They, however, did not have enough of any quality to separate itself from the pack of other blues-rock inspired bands to come out of England. They had early success in England, but they were unable to "invade" America, the international bar of success and popularity, like early contemporaries The Rolling Stones or Them.

Here is the discography surrounding The Pretty Things's debut album:

Rosalyn (1964 single)
Don't Bring Me Down (1964 single)
The Pretty Things (1964 EP)
Honey, I Need (1965 single)
The Pretty Things
Roadrunner (1965 single)
Big City (1965 EP)



Remember to speak up if you have a good idea for where the Musical History Tour should go next.

Them - The "Angry" Young Them! (1965)

UB40's song "Burden of Shame" from their debut album was co-written by Van Morrison. Although Mr. Morrison is known and revered for his solo output, he actually started out in a number of garage rock bands with the only notable one being Them. Can you find him on the cover?

Them's debut album The "Angry" Young Them! only opens a small window as to how the band truly sounded. Van Morrison put it that, while performing, the band fed off each other's energy and the energy of the crowd. Performances of their classic songs "Gloria", "Mystic Eyes" or "Here Comes the Night" could stretch to 20 minutes or longer depending on how Van Morrison felt, often ad-libbing new lyrics.

The group held a healthy amount of popularity while they were active and their live act often outshone their contemporaries: the early years of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals,... They melded garage rock and blues seamlessly and were one of the few bands that exhibited "genuine soul" in their music.

Here is the discography surrounding Them's debut album:

Don't Start Crying Now (1964 single)
Baby, Please Don't Go (1964 single)
Them (1965 EP)
Here Comes the Night (1965 single)
Gloria (1965 EP)
The "Angry" Young Them!
Mystic Eyes (1965 single)
One More Time (1965 single)
(It Won't Hurt) Half as Much (1965 single)

(at least it's something like this)

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